As he walked to the mound to remove Jhoulys Chacin, Weiss was booed. Not lustily, or with vigor, but there was enough noise to provide a clear signal of the fans' agitation over sticking with Chacin through six batters in the seventh inning.

For the second consecutive start, Chacin made a huge lead disappear, undermined by a defensive error. Closer Rafael Betancourt exited with an injury, but Wilin Rosario eased the pain with a walk-off single in the Rockies' 5-4 victory in 10 innings.

"Everything that happened to that point is just baseball, but we figured out a way to win," Betancourt said.

Wilin Rosario of the Rockies celebrates his walk-off single with hitting coach Dante Bichette during the Rockies' 5-4 win at Coors Field. More photos. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Weiss' decision became a footnote when the offense camouflaged the strategy. Facing erstwhile Rockie Matt Reynolds, Rosario lined the first pitch he saw into right field, scoring Carlos Gonzalez, who had doubled with one out, from second base.

The Rockies have won four of their past six games and moved within one game of the first-place Diamondbacks in the National League West.

There's concern for Betancourt, who will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. He spun awkwardly on his second pitch in the 10th inning, leaving with a tight right groin. He's listed as day to day, but has had leg issues in the past that must be monitored closely.

"I've been dealing with it for about (three weeks)," Betancourt said. "I don't think it's serious, but we'll know more tomorrow. I use my legs a lot, and I just couldn't push off."

Weiss has earned high marks from players for granting them freedom, while remaining firmly in control. He understands how hard the game is, outfielder Michael Cuddyer explained. Weiss provides a green light on the bases, and more often than not, on 3-0 pitches. Troy Tulowitzki homered in that situation in the third inning Tuesday.

"He lets us play. And he never panics," Gonzalez said.

The paid crowd of 27,096 wanted more urgency in the seventh as Chacin's line went from perfect to plastered with Ragu. He began the inning with 73 pitches. Then unraveled after a one-out walk.

"I can't walk people there. That's unacceptable," Chacin said.

Jordan Pacheco, playing first base for the slumping Todd Helton, stabbed awkwardly to his left for Eric Chavez's groundball. The error left runners on first and third. Chacin never recovered.

After a walk, Jason Kubel lined an 0-2 fastball to center, shaving the deficit to 4-2. Martin Prado, who had looked helpless against breaking pitches in his previous at-bats, dribbled a 1-1 slider over second base, tying the score. Weiss entered to boos, and Chacin retreated to the dugout, hands running through his hair trying to wrap his head around what transpired. The Rockies led 6-0 in his last outing against the Giants, and he couldn't hold it.

"I felt like Jhoulys gave us our best chance for a groundball in that situation vs. Kubel, and I didn't want (Josh) Outman to come in to face a right-hander, so I gave Chacin another batter," Weiss said. "Before that, he was cruising. It was as good as I've seen him."

Weiss walked a fine line. Chacin was so effective, his pitch count so low, he had earned right to clean up the spill. Outman prevented further damage, striking out Gerardo Parra and Didi Gregorious looking on calls that both players argued.

Rosario's swing made the starters and Weiss' decision a distant memory as the players turned first base into a mosh pit.

Jorge De La Rosa's emergence as a quasi-ace has been rocket fuel for a rotation burping fumes. With Jhoulys Chacin losing traction and the rest of the rotation lacking consistency, De La Rosa's importance has been amplified. He was mediocre in his last start, his 14-inning scoreless streak snapped by the San Francisco Giants. The left-hander owns a 2.24 ERA against Arizona, his lowest against any team with at least 35 innings pitched. Trevor Cahill has a 2.25 ERA against the Rockies in two games this season, but must tread carefully with Dexter Fowler (5-for-10, two triples).

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